The University is in the process of setting up an employer engagement role at an institutional strategic level, reflecting the institution’s commitment to this issue.  Different schools within the university are introducing new functions in the employability area, for example, Business Engagement Consultants, as professional support roles. 

Design, Engineering and Computing has been successful in achieving funding from the Royal Academy for Engineering for a Visiting Professor in employer engagement (Innovation). The School’s involvement in a number of HE STEM employer engagement projects including RAE STEM funding to validate a new MEng Engineering has contributed to this successful award. The combination of the MEng and RAE initiatives will provide a new innovating and powerful vehicle to drive research and enterprise engagement and income opportunities.

The School’s new strategic plan also has provision for an academic focused research assistant funded by the School to help coordinate the industrial engagement liaison across the school and support academic group bidding.

The STEM projects have raised awareness within the School and the wider institution and recommendations are being taken on board strategically within the institution and the School. 

The University is to build a new employer engagement website which will reduce some of the contact frustrations and procedural frustrations identified by participants in our project.

It is anticipated that all of the above innovations will underpin cultural change in employer engagement within the school.

For more information please contact the project lead: